Jan laid down on the table, with her face in the hole. She marveled at the ingenious design of the massage table - supporting her head without restricting her breathing. Still a little tense, she tried to talk herself into relaxing. Listening to the mello w tunes of the piped in music, and noticing the hint of lavender in the air, Jan closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Jake introduced himself, and placed a warm moist towel across her lower back. The comfortable heat seeped into her body, easing the day's tension. "This would have been treatment enough," she thought. Jake explained the next step to her, as he set the vibrator in the small of her back. The vibrations penetrated deep down into muscles, loosening up the knots, as well as loosening her inhibitions. A stream of warm oil dripped onto her back, then up to her neck. Jake's hands were unbelievably soft, a bonus in this profession, or perhaps a result of it. His hands were strong but gentle as they slowly released the tension that had been bu ilding up over the years. Jan wondered about the other bodies that he had worked on, knowing that it didn't matter to him that she wasn't thinner. It was her own inhibitions that were surfacing. She tried to release these inhibitions, and concentrate only on how she felt at the moment: safe, and in good hands. She now realized how much she had starved for the human touch. "I should have done this years ago," she thought, as she scanned her mental calendar for her next appointment. Jan specifically asked J ake not to converse with her so that she could fully relax and not have to concentrate on keeping up a conversation. Soon she wouldn't have to concentrate at all.

Jan found her mind drifting off as the warm afternoon sun, and the sound of birds in the trees helped to soothe her even more. A light breeze drifted in through the curtains, swirling the lavender scent throughout the room. Jake worked the tension out of her back with long, firm strokes, then dug deeper into her muscles with his thumbs. He tickled her feet as he massaged the instep. She knew he didn't tickle her on purpose. She wondered if she had cleaned out the sock lint from in-between her toes, as he pulled on each toe. She had not yet been able to stop the mental chit chat. He gradually moved up to her shoulders, where the weight of the world still rested. Step by step, motion by motion, the tension eased from her body. He gently massaged her scalp a nd temples, then kneaded the back of her head, paying particular attention to the base of the skull. She could have had him stay there a few more minutes, but couldn't muster up the energy to talk. Ever so slowly she was slipping away.

Jake finally made his way down her arms, smoothing over the goose bumps that had formed from the cool breeze. He took her fingers in his hands and worked each one, knuckle by knuckle, bone by bone, until they went limp. This surely was heaven. His hands r eturned to her back, sending a final wave of well- being throughout her body. Now completely relaxed, free of the mental chit chat, Jan finally let go. Saliva dripped from her lips as she drifted into bliss. Her body melted away, free of tension, disappea ring into the molecular energy field of those who had surrendered before her. Her clothes, towel, saliva, and the oil imprint of her body were the only traces she left behind. Pleased that he was perfecting his technique, Jake took the towel from the tabl e, and wiped up the saliva. This was why he insisted that his customers pay in cash, up front - he could never be certain when they would just up and go. He kept a fire burning in the waiting room fireplace, which added a special appeal to his customers - a cozy atmosphere, serving another purpose as well, unbeknownst to them. He didn't target any group in particular. He worked alone, and encoded his appointment book. There were no answering machines recording messages. He was a professional.

Some periods during the year were more common than others. Holidays, especially Christmas were particularly good times. The end of the fiscal year was a high period for government workers. This was a period when they all rushed to spend their funds, close out their contracts, and put in their final supply requests in hopes of receiving the same amount of funding the next fiscal year. Tax time was another good season. On a regular basis, Jake could rely on Fridays, and Saturdays, after a long work week. So me people were more difficult than others. Those type A personality people were particularly tough. With something constantly on their minds, unable to relax fully, these type A people were Jake's biggest challenge. In constant stress, they tended to push themselves to the limit. Sometimes it took two or three visits, but Jake eventually helped them reach their goal, the limit that is, that they kept seeking. Of course there were some people that just could not relax. They refused to give in. Jake would h ave to work on them some more.